Picture Courtesy: Prakriti Shree Tuladhar

'A tale about a kind prince who loses his parents and his kingdom at the age of 14 and goes on a journey to reclaim the throne in order to create a better country for his people.’

Yes, people needed such a story. It is no wonder that Arslan is one of the most awaited animes of 2015. And does the anime live up to the expectations? Yes, it does!

First off, the plot: The plot is an interesting mix of history and imagination. There are places and people that are recognizable with similar names, and facial and cultural characteristics. The plot is simple and does not surprise often, but the storyline is interesting nonetheless.

The main characters and the important side characters are all easily distinguishable as each has been given some special characteristics. All other people look the same. And because all other people are just part of the huge armies, they are only distinguishable by their uniforms. And, all people on one side of the army look similar. Arslan himself is very pale and can be identified with ease. Which was of course the whole point.

The starting and ending music are good and relatable with the plot line. The occasional background music is at the mark most of the time. 

The plot revolves around Arslan, who is shown as a naïve child at first, but then as the show progresses, develops a calibre, confidence and most of all, leadership, that causes people to ‘help him achieve his dream for the country’, as he puts it. The story does try to portray him as the ‘best king ever’, but the portrayal is done subtly so that it does not feel that his good qualities are being forced on to the viewers. He is very kind and cares too deeply, but is weak and far too trusting. As a result, he ends up being needed to be saved again and again.

The characters are well drawn and the animation is good, but even a novice in anime can easily see the weak animation of the battles between kingdoms. On that part, this anime is a total let-down.

In a nutshell, the fact remains that this was one of the most awaited animes of 2015 and after watching the anime, a person can easily see why. It’s a must watch for all anime lovers!